Australia have been dealt a blow as wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis has been sidelined for the remainder of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Inglis was the only stand-in batsman in the team and Australia could call up Nathan McSweeney back into the team.
Inglis will no longer be available as a substitute for the rest of the Melbourne Test and the upcoming Sydney Test as well. It is a huge blow for Australia as his bowling proficiency could have come in handy for his potential selection for the Sydney Test.
Watch: Rahul’s terrible catch miss as he overtakes Jasprit Bumrah at MCG, Nathan Lyon’s survival
Josh Inglis is out with an injury. Excluded from BGT 2024-25
Josh Inglis suffered a low calf strain while playing as a substitute during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The injury turned out to be serious and he was ruled out of the entire series as a result. Updates on his injury were provided by Cricket Australia.
Josh Inglis was the only reserve batsman in Australia’s squad after fast bowler Beau Webster was released to play in the 2024-25 Big Bash League. He was also the backup to Alex Carey as a wicket-keeping option.
Recently, Josh Inglis also played in two BBL matches in the big gap between the second and third Test in Adelaide and Brisbane respectively. However, he returned for the third Test in time for national duties.
Nathan McSweeney could be back
With Inglis injured, the Australian selectors will be looking for a batsman or wicketkeeper who can be a replacement for Alex Carey. Nathan McSweeney, who was replaced in the last two Tests by Sam Konstas, could also find his way back into the team.
McSweeney was earlier left out of Australia’s squad for the last two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney due to his disappointing returns in the first three Tests. His replacement Sam Konstas performed exceptionally well in Melbourne and may well keep his place in Sydney as well.
Nathan McSweeney’s versatility as a hitter could lead to him being called up. He is batting in the middle order for his home team and could be a replacement for Mitchell Marsh in the upcoming Test match.
Fast bowling alternatives in australia
While Australia have no batting alternative, they do have plenty of options in the fast bowling department. One of the substitutes, Scott Bolland, is currently playing in the Boxing Day Test in place of Josh Hazlewood, who has been ruled out of the series through injury.
Mitchell Starc has had some niggles in between this Test but looks good to carry on into the next match. Sean Abbott and Jhye Richardson are the other two substitute players in the team.
Australia will also play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka against the hosts after the ongoing Test series against India. The two Tests will be extremely important for Australia as they push their case for a place in next year’s World Test Championship final.
Josh Inglis is an excellent bowler with the ability to counter-attack the bowlers. He can play sweeps and reverse sweeps and can be useful in turning wickets.
